Antitipping safety attachment for baby carriages



May 3% WW Pi N. ZOLL ANTITIPPING SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR BABY CARRIAGES Filed Feb. 5, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. PAIL N- ZOLL May 30, 1950 P; N. zom 5 5 ANTITIPPING SAFETY ATTACHMENTFOR BABY CARRIAGES Filed. Feb. 3, 1949' I 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR. PAUL N- ZOLL P. .N. ZDLL May 30,, 1950 ANTITIPPING SAFETY ATTACHMENT BABY CARRIAGE-S Filed Feb. 5, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet C5 u y R w m m N I U DM TFI ITJ m. N. 20m. 2,509,534

ANTITIPPING SAFETY mmcmmm FOR EASY CARRIAGES Filed Feb. '3, 1949 s Sheets-Shet 4 May 30, 1950 P. N. zou. 2,509,534

ANTITIPPING' SAFETY 'ATTACI'MENT" FOR BABY- CARRIAGES FiledFeb. 3, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 1M 'ENTOR.

PAUL ZOLL.

Patented May 30, 1950 ANTITIPPINGJSHFETY AT KCBMEN I' -FQE 131mmUARRIA exis to construct a baby: carriage having attachment in accordance-with the fipresent ventiom whiehissimp1e and durable andwirhich may? be manufactured ancl sold at 2; reasonable cost.

For f urther comprehension 'of thesinventien; and ofthe obj eats and advantagesthereof refer encewill 'be had to the-following ;dese1 ipti0n-and=-- accompanying drawings -wand to-the appendedclaims in which the novel features of the presentinvent-10m are more: particularly sset forths In the accempanying drawings fosming atma terialmart cfithis' disclosure: 1

Figa e1 is aside elevational view of 'a bal iy carriage having-a-safeiy-attachment eenstsu'eted im; aceer danee'withthe -presentinventien.-i w

Fig. 2 is a front elevational View; of the baby; cai riage lookingeifrom -the--rig-hi;-hand side 0f Figel Fig 3' is an enlasgecl longitudinal'vertiealsectional-gvievv of -a p ytipn- Qf the carriage takeai-on--- the-line 3 3 Qf Fig QP- 0 A Fig; 4: 15 a partial tz -ansvei severtical seetional view taken on-the lineA-fi; f-Figi-LB H Fig. 6 is a view similar-t9 a pc tiori cf- Fig but illustrating a different positi pins I5. The lower ends of the cross-arms it are in turn pivotally connected to links it, which links have their free ends pivotally connected to the free ends of the springs i3 3 see Fig. 1. The top ends of the rearwardly extending cross-arms M are connected to the sides of the carriage body iii by means of bolts ll. The cross-arms M which extend forwardly of the carriage body I0 are connected intermediate of their ends to the sides of the carriage body ill by means of bolts A8. The forward ends of the forwardly extending cross-arms l4 continue upwardly and forwardly of the carriage body ill and have a handle l9 mounted between the free ends thereof.

A hood 2i is pivotally mounted to assume an operative position over the rear portion of the carriage body it, by means of pivoting pins 2|. The forward part of the hood is provided with the usual depending visor 22.

The axles i2 are secured to the connecting bars l3 so that the axles do not rotate, by being welded thereto as indicated at 23. The ends of the axles I2 extend beyond the sides of the connecting bars I 3 and have the usual wheels 26 rotatively mounted on the ends thereof.

The foregoing details are conventional in baby carriage constructions and further description of those details will not be given in this specification as they are well known to those skilled in the art.

Depending from the bottom of the carriage body Hi, there are four brackets to which an open top casing 25 is removably attached by screws 27. Thus, the open top of the casing 26 is closed by the bottom of the carriage body It] forming a compartment 28 beneath the carriage body.

Extended longitudinally within the compartment 28 midway between the sides thereof, there is a metallic tube 29 which has a two-degree bend from end to end, with the ends of the tube higher than the intermediate portion thereof. A lug 3B is integrally formed with the top of the tube 29 and is pivotally attached to a bracket by a 'pivot pin 32. Ears 33extend from opposite sides of the bracket 3i and are secured to the bottom wall of the carriage body 59 by nut and bolt assemblies 34.

The tube 29 is formed of metal and has its ends closed by removable caps 35 also formed of metal. A metallic ball 36 is freely rollable within the tube 25! and in the horizontal position of the tube, shown in Fig. 3, the ball 36 assumes an inoperative position at the low point of the tube 29 intermediate of its ends. As the tube 29 tilts in one direction or the other, the ball 35 will roll to the low end of the tube.

Mounted within the tube 29, there is a sleeve 3'! of noise deadening material, to silence the rolling movement of the ball 36 within the tube 29. The sleeve 3'! may be formed of rubber, leather or any other similar material. The inside faces of the caps 35 are provided with resilient bumpers 38 against which the ball 36 is adapted to engage when it rolls into either end of the tube 29. The resilient bumpers 38 are preferably formed of rubber.

Means is provided for reversely pivoting the tube 29 as either end of the carriage body IE] is lowered by movement of the child to that end of the carriage. The pivoting means is characterized by a cable 39 for each end of the tube 29. Each of the cables 39 has one of its ends secured to a depending lug 23 formed on the respective end of the tube 29. The cables 39 then pass downward through corresponding openings 5! formed in the bottom wall of the casing 26. The cables 39 then pass over complementary pairs of pulleys 52, see Fig. 4, rotatively supported by means of pins it in brackets 52. The brackets 44 are secured to the top faces of the respective axles 12 by means of rivets 4e.

After leaving the pairs of pulleys 22, the cables 39 then pass upward through openings d6 formed in the bottom wall of the casing 26 and pass over pulleys il. There is a single pulley ll for each of the cables 39 and those pulleys ii are rotatively supported in brackets 52 by means of pins it. The brackets 58 are secured to the bottom face of the carriage body iii by means of rivets 5E]. The free ends of the cables 39 then pass downward through openings 5i formed in the bottom wall of the casing 28. Those free ends of the cables 39 are then secured to eye-members 52 mounted on the axles l2.

The arrangement is such that if the baby within the carriage body IG goes to either end thereof, that end of the carriage body IE! will move downward under the weight of the child while the opposite end thereof goes upward. The upward movement of the opposite end of the carriage body it will cause the pulley M at that end to move away from the corresponding eyemember 52 creating a pull on the corresponding cable 39 to pivot the tube 29 in the direction opposite to the direction in which the carriage body Ii} moved, causing the ball 35 to roll to the low end of the tube. Such movement places the ball 36 on the side of the pivot pin 32 opposite the side on which the child is located. The weight of the ball 35 rolling to the low end of the tube 29 will offset the weight of the child and this added weight at the end of the carriage opposed to the end to which the child has gone will retain the carriage against tipping about the wheels 24 at the end of the carriage body Ill wherein the child is located.

Means is provided for holding the ball 36 in an inoperative position at the center of the tube 29 while leaving the tube 29 free to pivot. This means is characterized by a stem vertically slidably supported in a bracket 54% secured to the bottom wall of the casing 26 by several screws 55. As shown in Fig. 5, the stem 53 is square in horizontal cross-section so that this stem does not rotate, but is free to slide vertically.

A casing 99 is mounted on the top end of the stem 53. The bottom of the casing 99 is formed with a recess 9! into which the top end of the stem 53 engages and a pin Q2 passes from side to side of the casing 91] through the top end of the stem 53 securely mounting the casing on the top end of the stem 53.

A pair of opposed dogs Q3 are pivotally supported on pins 95 within the casing Bil and project'upward through elongated slots 35 formed in a cover at which closes the open top of the casing Sill. The cover SE; is releasably retained in position on the casing by removable screws 97. Each of the dogs 93 is formed with a depending tail portion 3= which engages a shoulder 93 formed within the casing 9E The shoulders 93 retain the dogs $3 from being pivoted in a direction away from one another.

Mounted within the casingfiil spaced slightly from the free edges of the tail portions 53 of the dogs 93, there are pins 95. Springs use have their intermediate portions wound about the ins 99 and one of their ends engaging the inside face of the end walls of the casing 92 and the other of their ends bearing against the tail portions 93* of the dogs 93 to retain thetail portions 93 in contact with the shoulders 98. The free top ends of the dogs 93 are arranged to be projected through elongated holes 58 formed in the bottom of the tube 29 and which holes are in normal vertical alignment with the dogs 93, when the tube 29 is in its horizontal position.

Normally, the top ends of the dogs 93 are completely retracted from the holes 58, as shown in Fig. 3, leaving the ball 36 free to roll within the tube 29 and the tube free to pivot. However, when the stem 53 is urged upwards, the top ends of the dogs 93 enter the bottom of the tube 29 through the elongated holes 58 and locate themselves on opposite sides of the ball 36, as shown in Fig. 6, to retain the ball 36 against rolling movements within the tube 29, but leaving the tube free for pivoting movement.

Pivotally mounting the dogs 93 leaves them free to pivot in the event the dogs 93 should enter the bottom of the tube 29 with the ball 35 in other than its central position. In such case, the ball 36 will eventually find its way back to the center of the tube 29 and will roll over the top of the respective dog 93 pivoting the same against the action of the respective spring I60. The springs I99 exert less force than the weight of the ball 35 so that the weight of the ball 36 is capable of pivoting either of the dogs 93' against the action of the springs lllll. When the ball 39 is located between the dogs 93, as shown in Fig. 6, the dogs 93 are held against pivoting away from one another by the engagement of the tails 93 of the dogs 93 with the shoulders 98 formed in the casing 99, so that the dogs 93 retain the ball against movement within the tube 29.

The holes 59 are somewhat longer than the length of the dogs 93, so that when the dogs 93 are in their operative position, shown in Fig. 6, the tube 29 is free for pivotal movement.

Secured to the bottom of the tube 29 between the holes 53, there is a small rubber bumper 59 normally spaced from the top face of the cover 93, in the operative position of the dogs 93. However, the rubber bumper 59 acts to prevent a metal to metal contact between the cover 96 and the tube 29 upon any excessive movement of either the cover 93 or the tube 29 toward one another.

The stem 53 is urged into a normal lowered position by means of an expansion spring 96 coaxially wound on the stem 53 and which Operates between the bottom face of the bracket 54 and a flange 9! formed on the stem 53 adjacent the bottom end thereof. The spring 69 thus acts to retain the stem 53 in the lowered position shown in Fig. 3.

Means is provided for urging the stem 53 upward against the action of the spring 69. This means is characterized by a bell-crank 62 pivotally suported by means of a pin 63 upon a depending portion 52 of the bracket 54. One arm of the bell-crank 92 extends along the side of the stem 53 at the bottom thereof and is formed with an elongated slot 94. A pin 65 extends laterally from the side of the stem 53 and engages the slot 64! for moving the stem 53 upward, when the bell-crank 62 is pivoted about the pin 63. The other arm of the bell-crank 62 is pivotally attached to one end of a link 55 by means af a pin 51. The opposite end of the link 56 is pivotally attached to one arm of a bell-crank 5'! by means of a pin 63. The bell-crank 61 is turnably attached to a lug 69 formed on the casing 26, by means of a pivot pin Ill.

A substantially vertically extended lever H has its lower end pivotally attached to the other arm of the bell-crank 61, by a pin 12. The top end of the lever H is pivotally attached to an intermediate portion of a pivotally mounted lever 13, by means of a pin M. One end of the lever 13 is pivotally attached to a lug 15 formed on the casing 25, by means of a pivot pin 15 Thus, when the free end of the lever '13 is manually pivoted upward the bell-crank 62, through the medium of the intervening linkage, will be pivoted in a direction to urge the stem 53 upward against the action of the spring 69, to the position shown in Fig. 6, in which the free to ends of the dogs 93 will be disposed in the holes 58 and on opposite sides 0 the ball 35. 5

Means is provided for locking the pivotally mounted lever 13 in its raised position in which the dogs 93 will be in their operative positions. This means comprises a plate 16 pivotally attached to a second plate 11 secured to the adjacent end of the carriage body 19 by several rivets 18, see Fig. 8. The plate 16 is thus free to pivot relative to the plate TI and is formed with an opening 719, see Figs. 3 and '7. In the raised position of the pivotally mounted lever 13', the free end thereof is arranged to be inserted into the opening 19 as shown in Fig. 7. The free end of the pivotally mounted lever 13 is provided.

with a hole 83 through which the shackle 81 of a conventional key-operated padlock 82 is adapted to be passed for retaining the free end of the pivotally mounted lever 13 in its engaged position with the opening 79. The free end of the lever 13 forward of the pivot pin 15*, is formed with a shoulder 83 arranged to engage the back face of the plate 13 when the free end of the lever 13 is engaged in the opening 79.

The operation of the baby carriage is as follows:

While the baby is peacefully resting in the carriage body Hi, the parts will assume the posi tion shown in Figs. 3, l0 and 11. However, upon the child becoming more active and moving to one end of the carriage body ID, that end will be lowered see Figs. 12 and 13 and the tube 29 will be pivoted, as previously described, to lower its opposite end, causing the ball 36 to roll to that lowered end of the tube 29. Such movement of the ball 36 will oifset the weight of the child and retain the carriage against tilting about the wheels 24 at the low end of the carriage body Ill.

When it is desired to lock the ball 36 in its inoperative position at the center of the tube 29, it is merely necessary to lift upward on the free end of the lever 13 to pivot the bell-crank 62 and urge the stem 53 upward against the action of the spring 69. Such upward movement of the stem 53 will cause the dogs 93 to move upward through the holes 59'to their operative positions on opposite sides of the ball 36, as shown in Fig. 6. The

lever '13 can be locked in its raised position by passing the free end thereof through the opening 79 in the plate 16, and then engaging the padlock 82 with the hole 89 in the free end of the lever 13. It is appreciated, of course, that when the lever 13 is released, the tension on the spring 60 will return the parts to the inoperative position of the dogs 93, as shown in Fig. 3.

When the carriage is being pushed, the ball 36 is locked in its inoperative position at the center of the tube 29 to permit the carriage to be easily wheeled without interference from the ball 36 shifting its position within the tube 29. The elongated nature of the holes 58 will leave undercarriage causes equal and opposite rotation of the tube with respect to said carriage, and a rolling weight within said tube adapted to roll to either end of the tube as the tube is rotated from the horizontal, said tube being upwardly curved at each end, whereby said weight is normally maintained at the center of the tube, and means for locking the tube in a substantially parallel position with respect to said carriage body.

10. A safety device for a baby carriage having a carriage body mounted on an undercarriage by means of springs, said device comprising a tube pivotally mounted normally horizontally on said carriage body, two cables, one at each end of said tube, each cable secured at one end to an end of said tube and secured at the other end to said undercarriage and passing around pulleys mounted on said carriage and said undercarriage, whereby rotation of the carriage body with respect to the undercarriage causes equal and opposite rotation of the tube with respect to said carriage, and a rolling weight within said tube adapted to roll to either end of the tube as the tube is rotated from the horizontal, said tube being irp'wardly curved at each end, whereby said weight is normally maintained at the center of the tube, and means for locking the tube in a substantially parallel position with respect to said carriage body.

11. A safety baby carriage comprising a carriage body having an undercarriage mounted thereon by means of carriage springs, a tube pivotally mounted normally horizontally on said carriage body, two cables, one at each end of said tube, each cable secured at one end to an end of said tube and secured at the other end to said undercarriage and passing around pulleys mounted on said carriage and said undercarriage, whereby rotation of the carriage body with respect to the undercarriage causes equal and opposite rotation of the tube with respect to said carriage, and a rolling weight within said tube adapted to roll to either end of the tube as the tube is rotated from the horizontal, said tube being upwardly curved at each end, whereby said weight is normally maintained at the center of the tube, and means for locking said weight in a substantially fixed position within said tube.

12. A safety baby carriage comprising a carriage body having an undercarriage mounted thereon by means of carriage springs, weight containing means comprising a hollow tube, a weight supported within said tube and gravitationally longitudinally movable with respect thereto, means pivotally mounting said weight containing means on said body, said weight containing means being normally horizontal, and means interconnecting the weight containing means and the carriage body for deflecting the weight containing means from the horizontal when the carriage body is deflected from the horizontal, the deflections of the carriage body and the weight containing means being in opposite directions, said tube being open at its ends. and caps removably mounted on the ends of said tube.

13. A safety baby carriage comprising a car riage body having an undercarriage mounted thereon by means of carriage springs, weight containing means comprising a hollow tube, a weight supported within said tube and gravitationally longitudinally movable with respect thereto, means pivotally mounting said weight containing means on said body, said weight containing means being normally horizontal, nd means interconnecting the weight containing means and the carriage body for deflecting the weight containing means from the horizontal when the carriage body is deflected from the horizontal, the deflections of the carriage body and the weight containing means being in opposite directions, said tube being open at its ends, and caps removably mounted on the ends of said tube and resilient bumpers mounted on the inside faces of said caps and against which said ball is adapted to strike as it rolls to the ends of said tube.

14. A safety baby carriage comprising a carriage body having an undercarriage mounted thereon by means of carriage springs, weight containing means comprising a hollow tube, a weight supported within said tube and gravitationally longitudinally movable with respect thereto, means pivotally mounting said weight containing means on said body, said weight containing means being normally horizontal, and means interconnecting the weight containing means and the carriage body for deflecting the weight containing means from the horizontal when the carriage body is deflected from the horizontal, the deflections of the carriage body and the weight containing means being in opposite directions, said tube being formed of metal, and a sleeve of noise deadening material mounted within said tube.

15. A safety baby carriage comprising a carriage body having an undercarriage mounted thereon by means of carriage springs, a tube pivotally mounted normally horizontally on said carriage body, two cables, one at each end of said tube, each cable secured at one end to an end of said tube and secured at the other end to said undercarriage and passing around pulleys mounted on said carriage and said undercarriage, whereby rotation of the carriage body with respect to the undercarriage causes equal and op posite rotation of the tube with respect to said carriage, and a rolling weight within said tube adapted to roll to either end of the tube as the tube is rotated from the horizontal, said tube being upwardly curved at each end, whereby said weight is normally maintained at the center of the tube, and means for locking said weight in a substantially fixed position within said tube, said locking means including a pair of pivotally mounted dogs for upward extension through elongated holes formed in the bottom of said tube to locate themselves on opposite sides of said ball.

16. A safety baby carriage comprising a carriage body having an undercarriage mounted thereon by means of carriage springs, a tube pivotally mounted normally horizontally on said carriage body, two cables, one at each end of said tube, each cable secured at one end to an end of said tube and secured at the other end to said undercarriage and passing around pulleys mounted on said carriage and said undercarriage, whereby rotation of the carriage body with respect to the undercarriage causes equal and onposite rotation of the tube with respect to said carriage, and a rolling weight within said tube adapted to roll to either end of the tube as the tube is rotated fromv the horizontal, said tube being upwardly curved at each end, whereby said weight is normally maintained at the center of the tube, and means for locking said weight in a substantially fixed position within said tube, said locking means including a pair of pivotally mounted dogs for upward extension through elongated holes formed in the bottom of said tube to locate themselves on opposite sides of said 

